Moving On
by afret2010
Summary: Maggie takes a temporary assignment with the Gotham PD after her breakup with Alex but when an undercover operation goes bad leaving her severely beaten she returns to National City unaware of the full consequences of the assault. How will she deal with it when she finds out the truth and will Alex be there for her or will she be unable to accept the choice Maggie makes.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I wouldn't really call this a sequel to "Alex Remembers Everthing" but it is in the same universe. I mention some of the things that happened in that story and Alex knows that Kara is Supergirl. You don't really need to read that one to follow this one but if want to know more and don't want to read that story just PM me and I'll give you the basics.

This one is primarily a Sanvers story because I still love that pairing. It's currently a 4-shot but I'll probably add an epilogue at some point. FYI, the four chapters are all written they just need to be reviewed for grammar, etc. I hope to post a chapter every day or two.

**Trigger warning:** For mentions of rape but no graphic descriptions and a very brief mention of suicidal thoughts.

For those of you waiting for the next chapter of "Would It Ruin Everything?", I apologize, again. I keep asking my muse for updates to that story and she keeps sending my Supergirl stories! I have not and will not give up on that story.

I don't own Supergirl and I'm not making any money off of this story. Of course if they ever decide to sell the rights…I still won't own Supergirl because I don't have that much money! Fun to think about though isn't it.

* * *

The DEO/NCPD joint strike team was cleaning up after a particularly nasty operation in the warehouse district of National City. Alex had decided to go along on this one to run things from the field. It was rare for her to be out in the field since adopting her son but, because of the size of the organization they were taking down and the complexity of the operation they had planned, she felt the need to be on-site keeping an eye on the situation.

In defiance of Col Haley's standing order banning Supergirl from all DEO operations, Alex had asked Brainy to call her in. She simply wasn't willing to needlessly risk her life now that she had someone at home who depended on her completely.

Fortunately, Col Haley had not attempted to use the alien Truth Seeker on her, or anyone else at the DEO, again. She had faith in J'onn's plan to avoid being forced to submit to the creature but she'd just as soon not have to put it into action.

Supergirl landed next to her as she surveyed the prisoners being loaded into trucks for transport to the DEO's desert base where they would be interrogated regarding their operation. Alex was fairly certain that this was not the entirety of their operation. Word was that the head of the organization kept herself well hidden.

"Looks like we're done here," Supergirl said. "I'd better get going before Col Haley decides to stop by and sees us acting all chummy. Wouldn't want to arouse her suspicions again."

"Definitely not. Thanks for coming though. I felt like I needed to be here but ever since I …"

"Alex, you don't have to explain. Do you think I'd let anything happen to the mother of the best nephew on the planet? Where is he right now by the way? Maybe I'll stop in and see him before I head back to CatCo."

Alex looked chagrined, "I don't think that's a great idea. He's in daycare at DEO Headquarters."

"The DEO has a daycare center?" Supergirl asked, surprised she didn't already know that.

"It does now" Alex replied. When her sister just smirked at her she said "What? There ought to be some perks to being in charge. Col Haley wasn't too happy about it but it's been well received by the agent's and other DEO employees who have small children."

"Aren't you worried that it might not be safe?" Kara wanted to know.

"Well we set it up in the annex so it's not anywhere near the operations center, labs, or holding cells. Plus, I've instituted a policy where all the most dangerous prisoners are immediately transported to the desert base. That's where this bunch is headed."

"That makes sense. It's certainly safer for the citizens of National City if one of the prisoners happens to escape. But I guess that means I don't get my baby snuggle fix before I head back to work." The superhero pouted and Alex laughed at her.

"Why don't you come by tonight. You can help me feed him and get him ready for bed and then we can have a sister's night. We haven't done that since I adopted him."

Kara's face lit up. "That sounds great! I'll see you around six?" Alex nodded. Supergirl turned to take off and suddenly turned back. Alex looked at her questioningly. "I've really missed this, working together I mean."

"Me too," Alex responded. "I know that sounds weird since, after the mind wipe, I didn't really remember working with you as my sister but still, part of me knew something was missing." Glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention to them she gave Kara's hand a squeeze and with that Supergirl took to the air, zooming back in the direction of CatCo.

Alex was about to hop into her standard issue DEO black SUV when she saw Detective Jack Johnson from the NCPD Science Division, Maggie's old partner. It bothered her a bit how the sight of him caused an ache in her chest. It had been over a year since she broke things off with Maggie and just the thought of her still hurt.

Knowing she really shouldn't but unable to help herself, she went over to him and struck up a conversation, a very awkward conversation. "Detective Johnson, it's good to see you," she began, not sure if she was still welcome to call him Jack like she did when she and Maggie were still together. "It's been a while since I've seen you. I don't get out in the field much anymore. How have you been."

He looked around when he heard her call his name and something flashed across his face. Was it anger, disappointment, discomfort? She couldn't tell. "Oh, hey Director Danvers," so clearly he'd heard about her promotion. "I'm good, still keeping the city safe from rogue aliens and humans alike. How about you?" His response was polite but he definitely seemed uncomfortable.

"I'm good," Alex answered. "Busy, seems like as soon as we take down one organization like this another pops up in its place."

"Ain't that the truth," he replied with a forced smile. "Look, I've got to get..."

Alex saw her chance to ask what she really wanted to know slipping away so she interrupted. "Have...have you heard from Maggie recently? Is she still in Gotham? When's she due back?"

Roughly two months after their breakup Alex had run into Maggie during a joint DEO/NCPD operation. It was the fourth time it had happened since they'd decided to call it quits. Maggie had approached her as she was getting ready to leave looking extremely uncomfortable. "Look Alex, I uh, I just wanted to let you know, I've taken a temporary assignment in Gotham as a liaison to the Gotham PD. It's too hard, seeing you all the time like this. I think a little distance will do us both some good, help us to move on ya know."

She had walked away before Alex had been able to form a coherent response. She knew Maggie was right but the thought of Maggie being all the way across the country made her heart hurt.

Detective Johnson, seemed to be studying her, as if he was trying to decide whether he should answer her questions or just walk away. "You still love her don't you Alex?"

Alex didn't even consider denying it. "I do, I think I always will."

Jack nodded the decision made. "Right then, I really shouldn't tell you what I'm about to tell you. No doubt if Maggie finds out I did she will take me out to the desert and shoot me. But I think you should know. I mean maybe you can help her some how."

Alex nodded encouraging him to continue even though she suddenly had a knot the approximate size and weight of a bowling ball in her stomach.

"Something happened in Gotham Alex, something bad, real bad." He paused, trying to find the right words. "Maggie was undercover with a mixed gang of aliens and humans that were suspected of all sorts of bad dealings; drugs, human and alien trafficking, prostitution, illegal gambling, You name it they were into it. Anyway, she got made. They beat her, sexually assaulted her and left her for dead. Not long after that she came back to National City. I guess the bad memories there were worse than the bad memories here. She's been back for a few months now but on medical leave. She just came back to work about a month ago. She hasn't been out in the field yet."

He stopped, realizing Alex wasn't listening to him anymore. Everything he said after Maggie had been beaten and sexually assaulted was just buzzing in her ears. Suddenly her knees buckled and she fell to her hands and knees and threw up. Jack knelt beside her awkwardly rubbing her back until she'd emptied the contents of her stomach right there beside her DEO issued SUV.

"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have told you. I just..." he started then seemed at a loss for how to finish the sentence.

She let him help her up and she squeezed his hand once then released it. "No, I'm glad you told me. I get why Maggie didn't or couldn't tell me herself but it's something I want to know. Like you said I still love her. Just because we're not together doesn't mean I don't want to help her if I can."

"The problem is getting her to let you help her." Jack replied. "Like I said she's been back a month and she's hasn't talked about what happened to me or anyone else that I know of except maybe the department shrink and I'm pretty sure she only went to him because they wouldn't let her come back to work until she did." Jack looked worried and exasperated all at once.

"No she's not the type to ask for help or accept it when it's offered." Alex agreed. "At least now I know about it. If I can I'll find a way to help her."

* * *

Alex returned to the DEO and tried to write a report on the operation in the warehouse district but her mind kept returning to Maggie and what had happened to her in Gotham. Finally, she gave up, letting her second in command know she was taking the rest of the day off she went and picked up her son from the daycare center and headed home.

Just holding him in her arms calmed and centered her. When she got him home she sat holding him in the rocking chair she had bought for the nursery. While they rocked, she considered her options. What she wanted to do was head straight over to Maggie's place, take her in her arms and give her a safe place to fall apart but, even if she knew where Maggie lived now, which she didn't, she knew that wouldn't be fair to Maggie. She didn't want Maggie to feel like it was an ambush. No, she needed to give Maggie space and the right to refuse her help or to even talk to her if that was her choice. For that reason a phone call wouldn't work either

In the end she decided on an e-mail. It allowed her to carefully consider what she wanted to say rather than winging it in a spur of the moment conversation. It also allowed Maggie to respond, or not, in her own time and in her own way.

Alex pulled out her phone and began to type:

"Hey Maggie," no, to informal.

"Dear Maggie," to formal.

"Maggie,

I spoke to Jack Johnson after a joint DEO/NCPD op today. He told me you were back in town. He also told me what happened to you in Gotham. Please don't be angry with him. He's worried about you and he knows I still care about you.

I'm so sorry you went through that Maggie. I want you to know that I am here for you if you need or want someone to talk to. I understand if you don't want that or if it's still too painful to be around me. Please know that just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean I don't care about you or want to help you when you're going through a difficult time.

I don't know if you want to know about it or not but just in case you do, I adopted a

little boy a couple of months ago. I named him JJ, short for Jeremiah J'onn. I'd love for you to meet him some time but, again, I'll understand if you don't want to.

I'm here for you Maggie, whether or not you want to meet my son, all you have to do is call and I'll be there.

Always,

Alex"

Without giving herself time to reconsider, Alex hit the send button. She looked down at the infant in her arms, he had beautiful brown eyes and the wispy hair on his head was dark brown as well. When he smiled at her he had the most adorable dimples she'd ever seen. "Well little man, it's done. Now all we can do is wait and see if she responds. I hope she will and I hope she'll want to meet you. I think she'd fall in love with you." She tickled his tummy and kissed his head. "How could she not? You are the best, most handsome, sweetest baby boy on the planet. Yes you are! Why your Auntie Kara was saying so just this morning. Speaking of, she's going to be here soon. You'd better save some of your baby snuggles for her or she'll be horribly disappointed."

Alex sat with JJ and just rocked for a while, she was still heartsick over what had happened to Maggie and terribly worried about her but holding her son made even the worst day better. He gave her a sense of optimism she'd not felt since her breakup with Maggie. That optimism let her hope that Maggie would reach out to her and she would be able to help her through this terrible time.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: This chapter is from Maggie's perspective and gives more detail on the attack and it's aftermath (nothing too graphic). FYI, there's quite a bit of medical info in here and, while I did some research to make sure it was accurate, some of it I just kind of winged it. Feel free to let me know if I made any glaring errors on that front.

I want to reiterate the trigger warning for mentions of rape and suicidal thoughts. It's nothing too graphic but just the same it's in here and you should be forewarned.

Finally, in this chapter anything in italics indicates a flashback. I think that will be obvious but just in case it's not I'm letting you know.

Enjoy!

* * *

Maggie sat at her desk at NCPD headquarters staring blankly at her computer screen. She had come in this morning and checked her e-mail first thing like she did every day only today there was an e-mail from Alex. She knew about the assault. She wanted to help. Maggie was surprised at the strength of her desire to let Alex help her.

Even though they had separated over a year ago, Alex was her safe place, the person who knew her better than anyone. Alex knew the best and the worst of her and she'd loved her not despite all of it but because of it. Maggie wanted nothing more than to let Alex hold her while she finally gave in to the grief and rage she'd been holding inside since the attack.

But Alex didn't know the whole story. Nobody in National City did, except for her Lieutenant. Would Alex still want to help her if she knew the whole story. Could Alex, who had given up what she herself had called "the best thing to ever happen to her" so she could have a family, could she forgive Maggie for what she had done, especially when Maggie couldn't forgive herself? Maggie was afraid to find out.

Maggie pulled her badge from the chain around her neck and took out the picture she kept hidden behind her NCPD ID. Tears welled in her eyes as she ran her fingers over the image. She flipped the picture over and read the date written there December 20th 2018. It was a date she would never forget it wasn't the only one but it was the most important, the best and the worst day of her life.

* * *

_April 25th 2018_

_Maggie came to in the hospital. She knew it was a hospital by the sound of the heart monitor keeping track of her heartbeat and by the antiseptic smell unique to hospital rooms. She'd smelled it often enough in her lifetime. She tried to open her eyes but found she couldn't. This confused her at first until she realized they were swollen shut._

_And then she remembered, not everything but enough. She remembered things were going well with her undercover assignment. She was getting a lot of good information. Then one of the gang members had brought in an old friend...from National City. The friend had just gotten out of prison. Maggie was the one who put her there. What she remembered of the beating they'd given her was brutal but mercifully she had lost consciousness shortly after it began._

_Maggie's mind was fuzzy and she wasn't sure if it was because of the beating or whatever they had given her for the pain. She was coherent enough to realize they had given her something for the pain. Considering what she remembered of the incident she should have been in a lot more pain than she was currently experiencing._

_"Hello," she tried to call out but her voice was nothing more than a raspy whisper and the attempt made her throat feel like she had swallowed lava. Had she been intubated, she wondered. That would mean she had been unable to breath on her own. How bad were her injuries?_

_She started to panic and the beeping of the heart monitor picked up speed. She was about to try calling out again, regardless of the pain she knew it would cause, when she heard footsteps approaching her bed._

_"Hey, hey, calm down you're okay, you're in the hospital, you're safe." The voice was male, quiet, and reassuring. "I'm Mark, I'm your nurse. You're in the ICU. We've been worried about you but now that your awake things are looking up. I'm going to call the doctor. I'll be right back. Do you understand? Just squeeze my hand if it hurts to much to speak._

_Maggie felt a warm hand take her own and she gave it a squeeze._

_"Good," Mark said. "Will you be okay if I leave for a moment to get the doctor?"_

_Maggie gave his hand another squeeze._

_"Okay," he replied, squeezing back. "I'll be right back with the doctor."_

_Maggie waited listening as the beeping of the heart rate monitor slowed. It felt like an hour but was probably no more than 15 minutes before Nurse Mark was back with the doctor._

_"Hello, Maggie. It's good to see you awake. I'm Doctor Marcus but you can call me Marcy."_

_Maggie tried to respond but all that came out was a croak and she grimaced in pain._

_"Mark, let's get her some water. Maggie, I'm going to raise your head just a bit to make it easier for you to drink._

_Maggie nodded and felt a wave of nausea. Raising the bed had the same effect but it passed quickly._

_She felt a straw against her lips and Mark said, "sip it slowly."_

_She did so and felt the fire in her throat lessen a few degrees. After a few more sips she tried to speak again. It was still painful but it was bearable and at least she could be understood._

_"How bad?" She croaked._

_"Your injuries?" The doctor asked. "We'll get to that but first do you remember what happened?"_

_"I was undercover. I got made. They started beating on me. Guess I passed out I don't remember after that." Maggie felt the straw against her lips and she took a few more sips. It was getting easier to speak. "I'm kind of surprised I'm alive. Gangs don't usually let a mole live."_

_"It's my understanding that you got lucky. A patrol car happened to drive by while you were being attacked. They scared off your attackers." Marcy passed on what Maggie's sergeant had told her about the circumstances of the attack and Maggie's rescue. It was shear luck._

_"And my injuries?" Maggie asked again. "How bad are they?"_

_"I won't sugar coat it," the doctor replied. She had a feeling Maggie was the type who wanted the whole unvarnished truth. "You injuries are pretty severe. You have 4 broken ribs, one of which punctured your lung. Your left arm was broken in two places. Your right knee was dislocated. We were most worried about your head injuries. Your nose was broken and you had a severe concussion. Not to mention massive bruising. Now that you're awake and clearly coherent I think we're out of the woods on that front."_

_"How long have I been out," Maggie was almost afraid to ask._

_"A couple of days. To be honest, I expected you might be unconscious much longer than that. It's possible the concussion was not as bad as we originally thought." The doctor paused allowing Maggie to absorb the information about her injuries. "In case you're wondering, the swelling has already started to go down. You should be able to open your eyes in a day or two. Unfortunately, I really need to check your pupillary responses, which means I'm going to have to open your eyes manually. It's going to hurt a bit."_

_Maggie took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, preparing herself. "Okay do it."_

_The doctor did as she said and it did hurt but Maggie endured it without so much as a whimper. Marcy was impressed, this cop was one tough cookie. She was going to need to be because the doctor had more to tell her and it was clear from their conversation thus far that Maggie had no idea what was coming._

_"Okay, that looks good, completely normal." The doctor hesitated and Maggie, ever the detective, picked up on it._

_"What aren't you telling me?" she demanded._

_"During the course of your examination," the doctor began using a more formal tone in what she knew would be a vain attempt to soften the blow, "we discovered evidence of sexual assault."_

_Maggie gasped but made no other response._

_Marcy continued, "we conducted a rape kit on you. I'm told the police had the crime lab put a rush on the results since the attack involved a member of the force."_

_"Do you know the results?" Maggie asked woodenly._

_"Yes, I've been in contact with you department daily. The results showed multiple assailants both human and alien."_

_A moan escaped Maggie and she felt the doctor take her hand in a firm grip. "You can get through this Detective Sawyer. You're strong and you're a fighter. That's what your sergeant told me and that's what I've seen of you so far. Just so you know, we administered the morning after pill as soon as we discovered the assault so you shouldn't have to worry about that."_

_Her words barely registered. All Maggie could think about was that she had been raped. Visions of every rape victim she'd ever interviewed ran through her head. She didn't want to be one of them. In that moment she wished the patrol car had taken a different route that day and that the gang members had been able to finish what they started._

_The pressure of the doctor's hand on hers brought her out of her dark musings and Marcy's words finally registered. I am Detective Maggie, freaking, Sawyer, she thought. I will not let some scum bag gang members break me. I will get through this._

_Giving the doctor's hand a squeeze she said, "thanks doc, for giving it to me straight. You're right, I'll get through this. I won't let some two bit gang members beat me."_

_The doctor had heard much the same from other victims of sexual assault. Normally she wrote it off as false bravado but in this woman it read as determination. She had the feeling this woman had already survived a lot in her life and she didn't think that was going to change now._

* * *

Maggie had spent two more weeks in the hospital and another two months in outpatient rehab before her doctors had deemed her healthy enough for the trip back to National City.

Maggie had debated with herself over the decision to return to National City early rather than staying in Gotham. She had been able to identify her attackers and they were all currently being held without bail awaiting trial. She would return to testify when ever the time came. So it wasn't like she was running out on her responsibility to make sure the scum bags were sent to jail for a good long time.

She just hated feeling like a quitter. But the fact of the matter was that by the time she was done with rehab she'd have less than a month left on her temporary assignment with the Gotham PD. If she went back now they could send a replacement, someone who could actually do the job. More importantly, National City was home, everyone and everything she knew and loved was there.

So she had returned to National City early. Her doctors in Gotham had briefed her doctors in National City and she returned to outpatient rehab as soon as she got home.

About a month after she returned she developed some kind of a bug that she couldn't seem to shake. She felt nauseous and tired all the time. The physical therapist helping her rehab her knee noticed.

* * *

_August 5th 2018_

_"Come on, Maggie, three more reps. You can do it!" Maggie glared at Mary Alice. The woman, her physical therapist, was clearly a sadist. Maggie was exhausted, much more so than she should be._

_"I can't, MA I'm so tired today. This damn stomach bug won't leave me alone. I threw up twice this morning and once more just before I came in here, not that there was much left to toss." Maggie whined._

_Mary Alice was surprised, she'd been working with Maggie for almost a month now. She was not a whiner. "Have you seen a doctor about this? You're a generally healthy person. If this were a normal flu bug you should be better by now."_

_"What, no, I'm fine." Maggie insisted, moving to get off the quad machine she had been using. Her declaration regarding her wellbeing might have been more convincing if she hadn't passed out as soon as she stood up._

_Fortunately, Mary Alice was standing right beside her and managed to catch her before she hit her head on the machine she'd just left._

_When she came to she was in the emergency room. She could hear a doctor she wasn't familiar with discussing her situation with her physical therapist._

_"Given what you've told me about her recent illness this is probably related to that. I'll have them draw some blood for testing. Given her history though I'm also going to order a head CT just to rule out any complications from her earlier injuries."_

_"That seems prudent," she heard Mary Alice respond._

_"I'm fine. I don't need any tests. I was just a little light headed because I don't have any food in my stomach." Maggie protested._

_"Ah, look who's back with us," Mary Alice turned to look at Maggie. "You didn't have any food in your stomach because you've thrown up three times today! That is not fine. And that, in and of itself, should not have been enough to knock you out for 20 minutes."_

_"Twenty minutes!?" Maggie exclaimed, shocked at how long she had been unconscious._

_"Yes, 20 minutes, now let the nice doctor run his tests, okay," she said in the tone of voice you might use on a recalcitrant four year old._

_Maggie grumbled but didn't argue._

_She turned to the man standing next to her. He was tall and balding with a fringe of white hair around his head. Mary Alice said, "Doctor Anthony Steffens this is Detective Maggie Sawyer. Maggie this is Doctor Steffens. Good luck." This last she aimed at the doctor._

_Maggie glared at her retreating back. Doctor Steffens either didn't notice or chose to ignore it. "Let's get started shall we?"_

_He'd had her blood taken and sent to the lab first thing. "We should have those results before we're done with everything else today," he'd told her._

_Next he took a moment to review her medical records, marveling at the modern technology that allowed him to pull up her entire medical history on the computer that was now standard equipment in every emergency room. Maggie knew the moment he read about the beating and sexual assault by the way he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably on the stool he'd pulled up to the computer station._

_He moved on without comment and had conducted a very thorough exam, taking her temperature, checking her pupillary response, looking in her ears, and at her throat. He used the stethoscope to check her heartbeat and listen to her breathing and he palpated her abdomen looking for masses or any unusual swelling or tenderness. He even got out one of those funny looking triangular hammers and checked her reflexes._

_"So far so good," he told her. "I'm going to have a nurse take you down to radiology to run the CT scan"._

_As she was being wheeled out of the room she heard his phone ring. "Doctor Steffens...are you sure...we'll run it a third time and this time check for...". That was all Maggie heard before she was too far away to make out his end of the conversation._

_They had been able to take her in right away for her CT scan and she was back in the emergency department in just under 45 minutes._

_When they wheeled her back into the room where Dr Steffens had performed her examination he was there waiting for her. Mary Alice was there as well and they both looked uncomfortable. Maggie braced herself for bad news. Maybe the lab results showed something serious, like cancer or some incurable virus, or maybe the CT scan revealed some previously missed injury that was going to require brain surgery, if it was even repairable._

_They sat for a few moments while both medical professionals seemed to be struggling with how to break the news._

_"Just spit it out," Maggie finally blurted out, unable to stand the anticipation any longer. "It can't be any worse then what I'm imagining!" Except it was. Never for a moment had she expected what they told her next._

_"Maggie, you're pregnant," Mary Alice said as gently as possible._

_"But that's not possible!" Maggie shouted. "I'm a ..." she was about to tell them it was impossible because she was a lesbian but then she knew, she remembered. Of course it was possible._

_She changed tacks, "But they gave me the morning after pill, this wasn't supposed to happen." Her voice was plaintive, pleading for them to tell her they'd made a mistake._

_"Levonorgestrel, is very effective but it's not 100 percent effective. The fact that the father is Daxomite probably lowered the effectiveness considerably," Doctor Steffens explained._

_"Daxomite!? The baby is half Daxomite? How do you know that?" Maggie was still reeling from the revelation she was pregnant now she finds out the father was one of the aliens who had attacked her not one of the humans._

_Mary Alice, took her hand and held it tightly glaring at Doctor Steffens as she did so._

_"Oh, I'm sorry, we didn't mean to spring it on you like that." He had the good grace to look embarrassed by his slip up. "Since you asked though, the original test showed you were pregnant but something was off with the hormones in your blood sample. They ran it again with the same results. Having just read your chart and knowing your history I had them run it again looking specifically for certain alien markers in the sample," he informed her._

_"You see, there are very few alien species who can successfully procreate with human beings. I had them check all possibilities and it came up Daxomite." The doctor concluded his explanation still looking a bit sheepish about his earlier screw up._

_Mary Alice squeezed her hand to get her attention. "I was talking to the Doctor while we were waiting for you to get back from Radiology. You're just out of your first trimester, it's not too late for an abortion. It would be understandable under the circumstances."_

_Maggie's response surprised all three of them but no one more than herself. "No! I don't want to abort the baby." She spoke firmly without even taking a moment to consider the options._

* * *

Sitting at her desk seven months later Maggie still puzzled over her vehement response to that suggestion. Maybe it was the tattered remnants of her Catholic upbringing whispering in her ear that abortion was a sin. Maybe it was the thought of Alex and others like her who wanted nothing more than to have a child to love. Maybe she felt this child could be something good to come out of a horrible experience.

Whatever the reason, somehow, she couldn't bring herself to blame him or her for the actions of the father and she couldn't bring herself to kill an innocent child. And that was how she saw the baby, from the first moment she knew of its existence, an innocent for her to protect until he or she could be given to a good home, to parents who would love the baby and give it everything Maggie knew she couldn't.

Her original plan had been to go back to work at NCPD as soon as her doctors and physical therapist gave her the go ahead for desk duty. Now the thought of going back to work was unbearable. Everyone there would know exactly what happened to her and she would have to endure their pitying looks or worse yet the whispers behind her back that she had always been too cocky and that got what she deserved.

She had gone to her Lieutenant and tendered her resignation giving him some lame excuse about being tired of police work and wanting to do something different. He had called her on her bull shit. She smiled now thinking back on how he told her she was born to be a detective and to cut the crap and tell him what was really going on.

She had and he had understood her desire to keep her situation private. They had worked out a situation where she could work from home, assisting with case reports, making calls to follow up on leads, and such. All things she could do with a phone and a computer without having to be at NCPD headquarters. It would be boring as hell but it's not like he would have let her out in the field in her condition anyway.

When either of them were questioned about it they gave the person a vague response about complications with her recovery from the attack requiring her to stay at home a while longer.

That explanation worked for most of the folks at NCPD who knew her. Only her old partner, Jack Johnson, tried to see her. She always came up with some excuse why he couldn't visit and he finally gave up trying, although he spoke to her almost every day on the phone. Usually getting her help on whatever case he was working but sometimes just to check up on her. She appreciated his concern and felt bad for hiding the truth from him.

Between her physical therapy and her work for NCPD the time passed. Her morning sickness was mercifully short lived and with a few changes to her eating and sleeping habits she was able to regain much of her lost energy.

The only problem was that she found working from home lonely and isolating. She might be an independent person but she'd always been a very social person too. She found herself talking the the baby to fill up the lonely hours.

"Wow little man, that's quite a kick you've got there. I hope your parents are in to soccer. I think you're going to be a natural." She'd learned the baby's sex during an ultrasound at the 20 week point in her pregnancy.

"Dude, seriously? You're craving fried chicken again? You do know mommy's a vegan right." She didn't even realize she had started referring to herself as "mommy" when she spoke to him.

"Alright, I need you to stop sitting on mommy's bladder right now! This is the fourth bathroom run we've made in the last two hours. I'm trying to get some work done baby boy."

* * *

_December 20th 2018_

_Maggie finally gave up on sleep at around 5:00 AM. Her back had been bothering her all night and she'd gotten barely any sleep. She just couldn't find a comfortable position. When her stomach had started hurting around 4:30 AM, she'd stubbornly stayed in bed for another 30 minutes desperately trying to get some rest._

_Finally with a sigh she'd given up, struggling to haul her by now considerable bulk out of bed._

_"We've got to talk little man. Mommy needs her sleep. You think it's easy growing a whole other person?"_

_She waddled into the bathroom and carefully lowered herself onto the toilet. When she was done she had a moment of panic when she thought she wasn't going to be able to get back up but rocking back and forth to get a little momentum going she was able to get it done on her third try._

_The baby was due in a few days and it couldn't come soon enough in her opinion. She was so ready not to be pregnant anymore. Not that it was anywhere near as bad as she had imagined it. Nonetheless, she was looking forward to getting her body back, and not having to go to the bathroom every 30 minuets, or even just being able to see her feet._

_Despite all that, she felt a vague sense of unease whenever she thought about giving birth. She tried to convince herself that it was just her natural fear of child birth but deep in her heart, in a place she rarely examined, she sensed that there was more to it than that._

_She was in the kitchen making a veggie tofu scramble for breakfast when the first sharp pain hit. It seemed to last a long time but Maggie realized it was probably only a few minutes. She pulled the frying pan off the burner and went to sit on her couch for a bit. She'd been there 15 or 20 minutes and had just about convinced herself that everything was fine and it was just a one time thing when she was hit with another pain. Just as long and just a sharp as the first one._

_Starting to panic, she grabbed her phone, opening her contacts and scrolling to her OBGYN's number._

_"Dr. O'Toole's office, how can I help you today?" a pleasant voice asked._

_"This is Maggie Sawyer, I'm one of Dr. O'Toole's OB patients. I think something is wrong. I'm having a lot of pain."_

_"Hold tight Mrs. Sawyer. The doctor will be with yo right away."_

_Maggie was too scared to even notice the woman's mistake let alone correct it._

_"Maggie, what's going on, I understand you're in some pain. Can you describe it for me?"_

_The calm, confident tone of Doctor Terri O'Toole eased Maggie's panic enough that she was able to describe her symptoms. She included the fact that she'd had trouble sleeping the previous night and why._

_She could almost hear the smile in the doctor's voice when she came back on the line. "Maggie, there's no cause for concern. What your describing is the first stage of labor. It looks like today's the day."_

_Maggie experienced a moment of embarrassment that she hadn't recognized what was happening. She'd read just about everything she could find online about what to expect during labor and delivery and her symptoms were classic examples of the first stage of the process._

_"I'm sorry Doc," she said chagrin coloring her tone._

_"Don't be Detective, it happens with almost all first timers." The doctor responded kindly. "Now from what you're telling me you've got plenty of time yet so don't rush and don't panic but why don't you get your delivery day bag together and head in to the hospital."_

_"Okay," Maggie's voice was much calmer but the doctor could still hear a bit of a quaver._

_"Do you have someone to drive you? I wouldn't recommend driving yourself. You wouldn't want to be behind the wheel when a contraction hits."_

_"I'll order a Lyft ride." Maggie said, glad she didn't have to explain her circumstances to the doctor, who already knew how she had gotten pregnant and the fact that she wasn't keeping the baby._

_"Okay, I'll see you on the labor and delivery floor once you get checked in. Feel free to call me if anything concerning happens before then."_

_"Thanks Terri, I'll see you soon."_

_Maggie's labor had taken the better part of the day. Her water had broken a little over 2 hours after she'd arrived at her room on the labor and delivery floor. After that she had made slow but steady progress. Doctor O'Toole assured her that it was not unusual for a first delivery to take this long. "In fact, they often take much longer. Based on your progress I'd say you'll be delivering this baby today as opposed to tomorrow."_

_And she was right, at 8:22 PM that night they had moved Maggie into the delivery room and the baby was born 25 minutes later._

_Everyone in the room had been briefed that Maggie would not be keeping the baby, although only Doctor OToole knew the whole story._

_As they were cleaning the baby up and determining his Apgar score one of the nurses noticed Maggie craning her neck trying to get a look at him._

_When they had cleaned him up and wrapped him in a swaddling blanket she picked the baby up and walked over to the gurney Maggie was on. "Do you want to hold him before we take him to the nursery?" she asked with quiet understanding._

_Maggie opened her mouth to say no but nothing came out. She knew she should say no. He didn't belong to her anymore. He was going to a to a family that wanted him and would love him and give him everything she couldn't. Holding him would just make it that much harder to say goodbye._

_The nurse took her hesitation as assent and placed the baby on her chest. Her arms came up around him of their own volition and tears streamed down her face. In that moment all she could think was,_ he could have been ours. Alex and I could have been his parents. We could have raised him together.

_She gently kissed his forehead and turned away, sobbing as the nurse took her son away from her forever._

* * *

That had been two month's ago. Maggie had waited another month before going back to work at NCPD. Now here she sat alternately staring at the picture of her son in the nursery at the hospital and the e-mail from Alex. The nurse that had let her hold her son had come to her room the next day as she was getting ready to leave. She had put the picture on the bed beside Maggie's bag and walked out without a word.

Maggie suspected it was against the rules but she was grateful beyond words. She had tucked the picture behind her badge and it had been there ever since. Maggie took it out every day before she went to bed and said a short prayer to God that He protect her son and find him a loving family.

They had given her the option of an open adoption but it was too painful. She didn't want to know where he was or who he was with. It was enough to know he would be with a family that loved and cared for him.

Sighing, Maggie returned the picture to its place behind her badge and closed the e-mail from Alex. She didn't delete it. She knew she probably should. She could only imagine how Alex would respond when she found out that Maggie had given up her son for adoption.  
Alex was the one person in her life who knew all the terrible things she'd done and loved her anyway. Rather than turning away from her Alex had wanted to help her heal. Even though they weren't together any more, Maggie was terrified that this would be the one thing that Alex couldn't forgive.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thanks for the comments favorites and follows. I really enjoyed writing this story so it's nice to know folks are enjoying reading it!

FYI, there's some stuff about the adoption process in this chapter. I didn't do any research on the topic I just made it all up so my apologies if is way off the mark.

As a reminder, I don't own Supergirl and I don't make any money on this story. I'm guessing you didn't really need to be reminded of that but better safe than sorry!

* * *

Alex & JJ

Alex pushed JJ's stroller down the side walk towards Noonan's. She told herself that she had chosen to take their Saturday morning walk in a park two blocks away from the restaurant because it was a nice park, popular with families with children. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was close to Noonan's where she and Maggie used to have brunch most Saturday's.

It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that she had found out through slightly less than official inquiries that Maggie's new apartment was just around the corner from Noonan's. It wasn't like she was hoping to run into Maggie. Why would Maggie even be at Noonan's on this day. It wasn't likely her ex-fiancé kept up their Saturday morning ritual. No doubt Maggie had moved on and had no desire to dredge up old memories of their former relationship. Clearly that was why Alex hadn't heard from her.

It had been almost a month since Alex had sent her e-mail to Maggie and true to her word she had not contacted her again, leaving the decision in Maggie's hands.

In many ways it had been a great month. Col Haley had been in DC most of the month, in meetings at the Pentagon. Meetings the subject of which Col Haley had not deigned to tell Alex. This had given her the opportunity to bring Supergirl in, discreetly, on a number of cases. It was great to be able to work with her sister again without the fear of exposure looming over them, even if it was only temporary.

She was finally getting into the swing of being a working mom. She loved being able to pop in and see JJ at work when her schedule allowed. She made an effort to be there at feeding times so she could be the one to do it. At the end of the day, no matter how difficult the day had been as soon as she picked him up from the day care center and held him in her arms, all the cares and worries of the day just melted away. Being with him brought her a the kind of peace and joy only one other person ever had. And that was the only dark spot in her otherwise happy life.

Underlying all the good things that had occurred I. The past month was her worry for Maggie. She had called in some favors with an acquaintance at Gotham PD and gotten a copy of the police report on Maggie's attack. The description was bad enough but the pictures taken in the emergency room immediately after the incident haunted her. She felt compelled to help but didn't know how to open that door if Maggie wasn't willing to contact her.

So here she was, about to enter Noonan's pretending she wasn't hoping to run into Maggie. She felt guilty about ambushing her former fiancé but her compulsion to make sure Maggie was doing okay was stronger than her guilt.

She was just a few yards from the door and had glanced down to check on her son, he was sleeping peacefully, when she heard Maggie's voice calling her name.

"Alex?"

* * *

Maggie

Maggie got back from her Saturday morning power walk and headed for the shower. She wasn't quite up to a run, or even a slow jog, just yet but her knee was getting better every day. After her shower she dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans with a henley tucked in to them and one of her many flannel shirts over top. She threw on her black leather jacket and headed back out.

When she left her building she headed left, towards Noonan's. She told herself it was because she liked the food and it was convenient, just a short walk from her apartment. It had nothing to do with the fact that she and Alex used to come here for brunch every Saturday they weren't working. She certainly wasn't hoping to run into Alex. If she'd wanted to see her ex-fiancé she could have just responded to her e-mail.

Of course it had been almost a month now and much as she might have liked to talk to Alex it just felt like too much time had passed. And there was still the issue of how Alex would take finding out the Maggie had given up her son for adoption. It never even occurred to Maggie that she could try to hide it from Alex. She knew that if or when she saw Alex the whole story would come out. What she didn't know is how Alex would react.

So she headed to Noonan's, her mind running endless scenarios of how a meeting with Alex might go. What would she say? How would Alex react? She turned the corner, still lost in her thoughts, when she glanced up and saw her. Just a few yards from the door to Noonan's looking into the stroller she was pushing and smiling.

She called out to her, surprise, fear, and joy warring in her voice: "Alex?"

* * *

Alex's head shot up and she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Maggie looked good. Alex had spent so much time obsessing over the photos of Maggie taken after the assault she had half expected to see her beaten and bloodied with her eyes swollen shut. Other than a minor scar over her right eyebrow she looked just the same. Only someone who knew Maggie's face as intimately as Alex did would even notice the scar.

Alex did notice a slight limp in Maggie's gait as she closed the distance between them but again it was barely noticeable. After a moment's hesitation they shared an awkward hug.

"What are you doing here?" Maggie asked, although she suspected Alex was here for the same reason she was.

"Oh we were just taking our Saturday morning walk in Barrett Park. It has great paths for walking with a stroller. Then I figured we'd have a little brunch here at Noonan's since it's so close by." Maggie saw Alex's explanation for the flimsy excuse it was but let it drop since she was doing pretty much the same thing.

"This must be JJ." Maggie glanced nervously into the stroller. It was cool for March so Alex had bundled the baby up. Maggie couldn't see much more than the boy's forehead and some wispy brown hair.

"This is JJ," Alex responded beaming at her son. Maggie watched Alex looking at her son. Motherhood looked good on her. She was clearly happier than Maggie had seen her since the early days of their engagement. Maggie felt an ache in her chest that was only partly because of the break up. She realized now how much she wanted this with Alex. How much she wished she could have it with Alex and the baby boy she had given up..

Maggie knew that deep down she had been angry at Alex for their breakup because Alex wasn't willing to give up her dream of having a family to be with her. Maggie had felt like she should have been enough for the other woman. In her head she knew it was unfair but she couldn't change how she felt in her heart. Now it killed her to realize she could have had this with Alex if she'd just been willing to open her heart up to the possibility of a family with her. Her son had done that for her and now she had lost him too. She knew she would never fully recover from that loss. It was so much worse than losing her parents because this time it was her fault.

"Were you planning on eating here? Would you like to join us?" Alex asked, with perhaps a little too much nonchalance, breaking Maggie out of her negative thoughts.

Maggie hesitated, not because she didn't want to spend time with Alex and her son but because she didn't want to do it in a public place. She needed to really talk to Alex, tell her everything. Maybe it wouldn't change their circumstances but she knew it would help her heal. She was still scared about how Alex would react when she found out about putting her baby up for adoption but she decided to take a leap of faith. Alex had never let her down before. She had to trust that she wouldn't let her down this time either.

Alex misread Maggie's hesitation and started to backtrack. "I'm sorry, that was a bad idea. JJ and I will find somewhere else…"

"No, I mean, yes, I'd like to have brunch with you, No don't go somewhere else. Just, would you mind if we went somewhere more private? I live just around the corner. We could get take out and go back there. If that's alright with you. We can stay here if you'd rather."

"Sure that's actually a great idea. I'm still getting the hang of eating out with JJ it can be difficult if he gets fussy before I finish eating. I always feel like the other patrons are glaring at us." Alex didn't mention that she understood why Maggie might prefer a private place to talk. She was just happy that Maggie seemed to want to talk to her, in private.

So they went into the restaurant and ordered take out, trying to make small talk while they waited for their order and not doing a very good job of it.

Maggie asked how Alex liked being "Director Danvers" and Alex said she'd like it a lot better if she didn't have to hide the fact that her sister was "you know who" from the military watch dog they'd sprung on her.

"Wait, you know that Kara is.." Maggie made the "S" symbol over her chest.

"You know about the mind wipe?" Ale asked, incredulous.

"James called, said even though it was unlikely that we would be talking to each other they didn't want me to accidentally say something that would reveal Kara's secret identity."

"Oh, that was smart actually. Well I figured it out and once I did all my memories came back. J'onn said knowing and protecting Kara's secret was a foundational part of my experience from my early teenage years on through adulthood. it was so much a part of who I am that the memories couldn't be completely erased. He said we were lucky the wipe didn't take or it might have fundamentally changed my personality." Alex seemed awfully blasé about the whole experience.

"Wow!" Maggie said at a loss for words. Fortunately, she was saved from trying to think of anything more to say by the arrival of their food.

They paid for there food and left the restaurant, heading to Maggie's apartment. They walked in silence each lost in their own thoughts about the conversation to come until they were on the elevator in Maggie's building heading up to her floor.

Maggie glanced at the baby bundled up in his stroller then looked up to Alex. "Can I ask you a question, about JJ," she asked hesitantly.

"Sure," Alex said pleased that Maggie was curious about her son.

"Well, he's younger than I expected. I thought it was difficult to adopt an infant. I thought there were long waiting lists."

"It is and there are," Alex replied a little flatly. There was something in her expression that Maggie could quite read, anger, sadness, maybe even a little fear.

"Then, how? I mean even if you put in your application for adoption right after we broke up I've heard adopting an infant can take years. I know it's faster if you go with a private adoption but those are really expensive." Maggie knew Alex didn't have that kind of money.

By this time they had arrived at Maggie's door and the conversation paused while she fished her keys out of her pocket and let them all into her apartment.

Alex entered first pushing JJ in front of her. She looked around while Maggie closed and door behind them and put their take out bags on the counter. The place was small and sparsely furnished but what furnishings there were were of good quality. Not for the first time, Alex felt a pang of guilt that their break up had left Maggie in the position of having to find and furnish a new apartment. She had wanted to offer to help her with some of the expense but knew Maggie's pride would never have allowed her to accept.

Looking over to Maggie who was pulling out plates and silverware Alex asked, "Do you have a blanket and some pillows I could use to set up a makeshift playpen for JJ? He's been in his stroller all morning."

"Sure, I'll be back in a flash." Maggie said heading down the hall and entering what Alex assumed was her bedroom. She came back in a few moments a fleece blanket in which she had wrapped four pillows from a queen sized bed. Alex recognized the blanket as one that Maggie used to keep on the back of her living room couch before she had moved in with Alex. They had spent many a happy hour snuggled underneath it watching Netflix or just talking.

"Will this work?" Maggie asked.

"Perfect," Alex replied taking the blanket and pillows from Maggie and going to set up a spot for JJ in the middle of the living room floor.

"So, getting back to our conversation about how you managed to adopt an infant?" Maggie returned to their previous topic.

Alex glanced up at her with the same expression she'd had before and Maggie thought better of her question. "You know what, it's none of my business, just forget I asked."

"No Maggie, it's not that." Alex paused in arranging the pillows for JJ and sat back on her heals looking at Maggie. "It's just...it's just, it still makes me angry. I guess that's kind of stupid because if it weren't for what happened I wouldn't have him but...dammit, it's not like he had any control over who his parents were. I can't believe how bigoted some people can be."

Maggie was surprised and more than a bit confused by Alex's outburst. "Umm,".

"I'm sorry, I should explain." Alex looked chagrined. "You're right, normally it takes a very long time to adopt an infant. And no, I didn't put in my application to adopt until a about six months ago." Alex took one of the pillows and placed on one side of the blanket she had folded and placed on the floor.

Then she continued, "I didn't want to wait so I applied to adopt an older child. When my application was accepted I was invited to a meet and greet with some of the older children available for adoption. It was really kind of awful, like it was some furniture store and we were going there buy a new sofa. I felt so sorry for the kids." Alex shuddered at the memory.

"Anyway, I went in search of a bathroom and on my way back I passed this room and I could hear a baby crying inside. I peaked in to see if there was anyone in there with him and there wasn't so I went over to his crib. There was a sign on it that said infant, male. There was a date, that turned out to be his birthday and some sort of code and 'HuDaX'."

"I looked into his crib and his little face was all scrunch up and red and he was crying really hard by now, almost to the point of not being able to breath. I reached in and rubbed his tummy and as soon as I did he calmed down. He opened his eyes and looked at me and...I know how it sounds but there was just this instant connection. Without even realizing what I was doing I picked him up and started rocking him in my arms and telling him everything was alright and he was okay." She paused again, lost in the memory and the look of love and joy on her face made Maggie's heart ache remembering the one and only time she'd held her son.

Alex shook herself, placing another pillow on the other side of the folded blanket and returned to her story. "Anyway, about that time one of the staff came in and found me holding the baby."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_December 24th 2018_

"_What are you doing in here?" The woman asked not unkindly. She was wearing a name tag that said 'Rose Ann'._

"_I'm here for the meet and greet. I was coming back from the bathroom and I heard him crying." Alex explained. "I looked in the room and no one was here so I came in to check on him."_

_Roast Ann just nodded._

"_I didn't think you had any infants at this facility." It was a statement but also a question._

_Rose Ann sighed. "Normally we don't," she said. "It's actually kind of a sad story. We've got a waiting list for infant adoptions. When he was born we called the first couple on the list. They were very excited, they went to the hospital to meet him and were getting ready to sign the papers when they found out."_

"_Found out what?" Alex asked puzzled by what could possibly make someone change their mind about adopting the beautiful little boy she still held cradled in her arms._

"_They found out about his parents. Or more accurately about one of his parents. You see he's only half human," Rose Ann explained._

_Alex looked back at the baby in her arms, she saw no sign of alien blood but she knew there were a few alien races that were outwardly indistinguishable from human beings. Without even knowing his parentage she found she didn't care what his other half was she wanted this baby. He belonged with her and she belonged with him. She felt it in the deepest recesses of her heart and soul._

_Rose Ann went on with her story, "We called 10 other names on our list. It was the same with all of them. Nobody wants a child with alien blood. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering the current climate in this city but still, he's just a baby in need of a home."_

"_Was that why he was given up for adoption?" Alex couldn't imagine someone giving up their own child simply because he wasn't fully human._

"_I don't know," Rose Ann replied. "The parent or parents giving him up opted for a closed adoption. We don't know anything about them other than one was human and one was not."_

"_This is just a temporary placement for him. This facility isn't really equipped to keep an infant long term. We're looking for a more permanent solution."_

"_I want him." Alex blurted out. "I want to adopt him. I've got the paperwork. I've been approved."_

_Rose Ann studied her intently. "It doesn't bother you that one of his parents was an alien?"_

"_Not in the least, I work with aliens everyday."_

"_You don't even know what his other half is?"_

"_I don't care, I want him. He's supposed to be my son. I felt it the moment I touched him."_

_Rose Ann nodded, "Alright then. It's not my decision, I'll have to talk to my supervisor. He's going to want to talk to you to make sure you're ready to handle the challenges of raising a half alien child. Plus we'll need to verify that your paperwork is in order." Alex was beaming down at the baby in her arms and Rose Ann couldn't help but smile at the two of them. She had been so angry at the people who refused to accept this beautiful boy for adoption. _Maybe this had all worked out the way it was supposed to after all, _she thought._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex hadn't noticed how still Maggie had gone as she told her story. She placed the last pillow on the floor making a small space on the folded blanked surrounded by the pillows. "Would you mind taking him out of the stroller and bringing him here?" she asked before going on with her story.

She was completely oblivious to the turmoil raging in Maggie's heart at that moment as trembling she reached into the stroller and pulled the blanket covering JJ away from his face. If she had been able to breath at that moment she would have gasped but, as it was, she was completely silent.

"Anyway, long story short, the adoption was approved and I was able to take him home the very next day. Thank goodness I had Kara to help me get ready. I didn't have anything I needed for an infant. It turns out his non-human parent was"

"From Daxom," Maggie interrupted her voice barely above a whisper. "His father was a Daxomite, he was born December 20th at 8:47 PM, he weighed exactly 9 pounds and he was 22 inches long."

"What!? How do you know all that?" Alex was stunned. Everything Maggie had said was true but how could she possible know.

"Because I was there, I gave birth to him. I'm his biological mother." Maggie sobbed, never taking her eyes off of the baby boy in the stroller. She looked like someone dying of thirst who just had a glass of water placed in front of them but just out of their reach.

It took a few moments but eventually Alex's brain kicked back into gear and she understood what must have happened. Getting up from the floor she rushed to Maggie's side. "Oh Maggie, oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry that happened to you. It must have been so difficult."

Alex was rubbing Maggie's back. She could feel Maggie's trembling and wanted to wrap her arms around her but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do at the moment.

Feeling Alex's touch broke Maggie out of the trance she was in. She tore her eyes away from her son and looked at Alex. "Can I...is it alright... if I hold him? It's been so long. I, I only got to hold him once before they took him away."

Alex had so many questions in that moment but she knew there would be time for that later. "Yes, of course you can hold him," she replied but Maggie seemed unable to make her body move so Alex picked JJ up out of his stroller and gently placed him in her arms. Watching Maggie hold him, Alex finally understood the instant connection she had felt with JJ the first time she'd touched him.

"He's even more beautiful than he was the day he was born." Maggie was crying again but this time they were tears of joy.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: As I said in my note in chapter 1, this is the last chapter of this story. However, I've already started working on an epilogue and hope to have it completed within the next day or so.

For those of you who are waiting for the next chapter of my Rizzoli and Isles story, "Would It Ruin Everything", it is already in the works.

I hope you enjoy this update.

* * *

"He's even more beautiful than he was the day he was born." Maggie was crying again but this time they were tears of joy. She was holding the baby she thought she'd never see again. Alex had adopted him. Her mind couldn't quite take it in.

Alex had tears in her own eyes watching Maggie with JJ. It was obvious how much she loved him but that just brought up more questions. If she did love him why had she put him up for adoption.

Their food sat forgotten on the kitchen counter. Alex stood beside Maggie with one hand on JJ's head and the other on the small Maggie's back. "Let's sit," she said guiding Maggie to the couch.

They sat side by side, Alex with one arm around Maggie's shoulders and the other with Maggie's arms around JJ.

Maggie couldn't take her eyes off of him. The gaping whole where heart used to be, before they took him from her in the delivery room, suddenly full to bursting. "I can't believe he's here," she said reverently. "I can't believe I'm holding him." She glanced up at Alex then back down to JJ. "I'm so happy it's you Alex. I'm so glad you're his mom."

Alex wanted to say that they were both his moms. She wanted to tell Maggie that whether they were together or not she would never keep him from her when she so clearly loved him but she sense Maggie wasn't ready for that yet so instead she said, "Talk to me Maggie. Tell me what happened. Jack never mentioned you were pregnant."

"He didn't know, nobody in National City or Gotham did except for my Lieutenant here at NCPD. He was really cool about it. I told him my situation and said I wanted to resign. I gave him some lame excuse but the truth was I just couldn't face having everyone at NCPD know I was pregnant and how it happened."

"I get it," Alex said with a rueful expression. She would have felt the same way. The pitying looks from most folks would be bad enough but the people, men really, whispering behind her back that she got what she deserved or seeing this as proof that women couldn't or shouldn't be allowed to be agents or detectives, that would be unbearable.

"He saw right through my excuse and asked how I would feel about working from home until after I gave birth. When anyone asked either one of us why I was working from home we just told them I'd experienced a complication from the assault and couldn't be in the office yet. It wasn't really a lie."

Maggie smiled, looking down at the complication nestled peacefully in her arms. "Anyway, it worked, Jack was the only one who pushed for more information and wanted to come visit me but after I repeatedly made excuses why he couldn't come visit he eventually let it go. We still talked on the phone most days for work or just to check in with each other. He really is a good partner. I hope they'll pair us up again when I'm cleared for field work."

Maggie took a breath and let it out slowly bracing herself to tell Alex the rest of the story. "Anyway, I don't know exactly what Jack told you but I was undercover, infiltrating a mixed human/alien gang that was into some really bad stuff. It was going great, I was getting good intel for an eventual arrest. Then one of the gang members brings in an old friend from National City, someone I'd busted."

Maggie shivered a bit remembering what came next and Alex held her even tighter against her side.

"There wasn't much I could do. I tried to talk my way out of it but they weren't buying it. They started beating on me almost immediately. Fortunately, I guess, I took a blow to the head early on and I don't remember anything after that. I didn't know about the…"

Maggie had yet to use the word "rape" and she hesitated this time but she knew if she wanted to heal completely and move on she needed to be able to say what happened to her. Right now with Alex holding her and JJ in her arms she felt safe enough to put voice to her ordeal. Alex sensing all of this just waited, with her arm around Maggie's shoulders, her hand gently rubbing her arm.

Maggie cleared her throat and went on. "I didn't know about the rape until I came to in the hospital. They gave me the morning after pill but…"

"Yeah," Alex interrupted, "the police report mentioned that. I wonder why it didn't work."

Maggie looked at Alex with a raised eyebrow, "You read the police report on the attack?"

Alex got that deer in the headlights look only then realizing her slip up. "Maggie, I'm sorry I.."

"Don't be, I'd have done the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot." she admitted. "The doctor who discovered the pregnancy thought the fact that the baby is part alien is why the pill didn't work."

"That makes sense. Speaking of that, when did you find out you were pregnant?" Alex wanted to know.

"I was already back home in National City. I only stayed in Gotham long enough for my doctors to clear me for the long trip back here and long enough to see my attackers caught. They're being held without bail until the trial. I'll have to go back to Gotham for that." The look on her face was part determination and part trepidation. Alex understood both sentiments.

"Anyway, I was doing my PT getting better, slowly. Then I caught this bug that wouldn't go away. I was exhausted and throwing up all the time. I didn't want to lose the progress I'd made in PT so I went in and tried to power through. I actually passed out right in front of my physical therapist and she took me to the emergency room. They ran all kinds of tests and one of them showed I was pregnant but that the baby was only half human. They ran another test and figured out the father must have been from Daxom."

"How far along were you?" Alex asked.

"I was just out of my first trimester."

"It wasn't too late, you could have had an abortion," Alex said gently. It was more question than statement. Maggie had been quite clear how she felt about having children when they had broken off their engagement so Alex was puzzled that she'd chosen to have the baby, especially considering how he was conceived.

Maggie couldn't help a rueful smile at the memory. "Oh, the doctor offered. Believe me, no-one was more surprised than me when I turned them down. I didn't even take time to think about it, although I've thought about it a lot since then. I keep coming back to two things that I think were behind my decision, even if I wasn't exactly aware of them in the moment. First, all the people like yourself who want nothing more than to have a child to love but can't have their own for some reason. And second, what happened to me, what his father did, wasn't his fault. I couldn't bring myself to make him pay for his father's sins."

"It must have been so hard for you, going through the pregnancy alone, especially under the circumstances." Alex looked sad just thinking about it. She wished Maggie had come to her for help. She supposed Maggie was still hurt and angry about her decision to break off their engagement and hadn't wanted Alex's help. It made her heart ache to think that.

"It was, especially since I was working from home and didn't have a lot of interaction with other people. As strange as it sounds, he helped me through it," she said looking down at JJ and running the back her forefinger down his cheek. He wriggled a bit in her arms and smiled up at her. She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

Alex's heart melted at the sight. Since she had first brought him home, on Christmas Day no less, Alex had harbored a secret fantasy about raising JJ with Maggie. Cearly Maggie hadn't wanted that or she would have come to Alex when she found out she was pregnant. She had to know that Alex would want this with her. Hadn't she?

When Maggie looked back up at Alex her eyes shown with unshed tears and Alex couldn't tell if they were happy tears because she had her son in her arms right now or sad tears for all the pain and sorrow she'd experienced when she was carrying him in her womb.

"It didn't happen right away, but eventually I started talking to him. Mostly to complain about him kicking me in the ribs, or making me crave burgers and fried chicken." She poked him gently in the belly as she said this and he smiled at her again. Making a happy noise.

"Oh no!" Alex exclaimed unable to hold back a chuckle. "That must have been terrible for you!"

"You'd think so but not so much. Truth is it was kind of hard to get back into the vegan thing after he was born." Maggie admitted a bit sheepishly.

"So time passed more or less uneventfully until December 20th. I had no idea I was in labor." She shook her had marveling at her cluelessness. "I mean I read everything I could find about what to expect and my symptoms were classic but I still didn't realize until I called my OB in a panic and she said I was in the early stages of labor." She paused lost in the memory of that day.

"Was it a difficult delivery?" Alex asked to get her going again.

"Not really, I mean I was in labor all day but once we got to the pushing part in went pretty quickly. Don't get me wrong it hurt like a bitch but that didn't last too long."

"You said you only got to hold him once?" Alex asked gently.

Maggie's eyes filled, then overflowed with tears. "Yeah, the nurse asked if I wanted to and I knew I should say no, that it would just make it that much harder to give him up, but I just couldn't bring myself to say no. I didn't say anything at all and the nurse, well, I guess she took that as consent cause she just placed him in my arms. There are no words to describe what I was feeling at that moment Alex. I was the best and worst moment of my life. He was so beautiful and I loved him so much."

"You could have changed your mind, you could have kept him?" It was just a question not an accusation as Maggie had feared. In that moment Maggie realized she had underestimated Alex. She didn't blame Maggie for her decision to give up her child, she just wanted to understand it.

Maggie didn't answer the question right away, at least not directly. "In that moment, as I held my son for what I thought would be the only time, all I could think was, Alex should be here. This should be our moment. We should be his parents. But you weren't there and that was all on me. I wanted to tell them that I'd changed my mind, that I was going to keep him but I just didn't think I could give him the best home, not by myself."

They sat there in silence for long moments, each gazing at their son, lost in their own thoughts. Maggie was remembering the gut wrenching pain of that moment and Alex was trying to understand why Maggie hadn't reached out to her.

Finally, Maggie broke the silence. In a small voice she asked, "Do you think I could see him sometimes? I know I have no right to ask but do you think that would be okay with your partner?"

And suddenly the puzzle pieces fell in place for Alex and she understood why Maggie hadn't reached out to her for help. It broke her heart into a million pieces. Maggie thought she had moved on, that she had found someone else and that they had adopted JJ together.

She had to clear the lump in her throat before she could speak. "Maggie, look at me." She waited until the other woman looked up at her fear and hope warring in her eyes. "First, I would never keep your son from you. It is abundantly clear how much you love him and I want him to know how brave, and smart, and kind, and just plain awesome his mother is."

Maggie blushed at the compliment and glanced away. Alex waited for her to look back before continuing. "And second, there is no partner." Maggie looked confused and a bit surprised.

"But I thought…I mean I assumed...you were so clear that you wanted a family and let's face it when Alex Danvers has a plan nothing stops her. I just figured you'd have found a partner first, I guess."

"Oh I tried to find some one. I went on a lot of first dates, fewer second dates, even some third dates. I think my record was six dates. I tried dating women who reminded me of you but that was a disaster because they clearly were not you. Then I tried dating women who were nothing like you and that was even worse because I guess I have a very specific type: smart, beautiful, badass NCPD detectives, with a big heart and killer dimples."

Maggie blushed again and smiled but didn't turn away this time. Alex returned the smile and continued. "I finally figured out that I'd already met the love of my life and apparently I wasn't willing to settle for second best in that department. Since I'd given up that person so I could have a child I figured I'd better stop farting around and do something about it. That's why I only put in my application for adoption six months ago, not because I was meeting and falling in love with someone else but because I wasn't."

Alex watched as Maggie took in everything she had said then asked the question she had been wanting to ask for a while now. "What about you? Did you meet anyone, you know, before all of this happened. Is there someone back in Gotham missing you?"

Maggie smiled shyly at Alex, "I went on a few dates when I first got to Gotham, nothing special. I wasn't really ready for anything serious at that point. Then I went undercover and everything went sideways and…" she trailed off. Alex knew the rest of the story.

"Alex, I…" Maggie seemed to be struggling to find the words to say what she wanted to say next. Alex gave her the time she needed to gather her thoughts. She began again, "Alex, I'd really like us to try again but I'm afraid you're going to think it's just because I want to be with JJ. And I do want that but I want to be with you too. I never wanted to be apart from you in the first place. I just never thought…I didn't realize how much I could love a child and I knew how much you wanted one so I thought I was doing what was best for both of us when I let you go. I guess I'm hoping you can forgive me and, I don't know, maybe we can start over or.."

Maggie was rambling now and Alex knew she needed to stop her before she imploded. "Maggie," but Maggie kept talking. "Maggie," still no break in the stream of word coming from Maggie's mouth. "Maggie!" Alex finally raised her voice enough to break through to the other woman.

Maggie stopped talking and gently bounced JJ who had been startled by his mother's outburst. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

Alex took a breath and let it out, then ran her hand over JJ's head, both actions calming her. "I'd like us to try again too. Id like to take it slowly if that's okay with you? I think you should get to know our son first." Alex loved the full on dimpled smile Maggie gave her when she referred to JJ as their son. "I'd like to go on dates with you, get to know you again. I know, fundamentally we are the same people but a lot has happened to both of us. I want us to last this time, for us, but more importantly for our son."

"I want that too Alex. I want it more than ever even knew I could want something."


	5. Epilogue

Author's Note: Here's the epilogue I promised, finally! This turned out way longer than I thought it would, which only accounts for part of the reason it took so long to post it. Don't worry I'll spare you the details of work, volunteer duties, and massive snow storms that make up the rest of the reason this took so long.

Once again, _italics_ indicate flashbacks.

I'm marking this one complete. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

One last time: I don't own Supergirl or any of the characters associated with the show. I'm not making any money on this story. I just do it for the fun of it!

* * *

June 10th 2021

Alex sat at the vanity in the room Sean and K'van had given her. Alex and Maggie had helped Sean and K'Van back when Agent Liberty and his cronies were stirring up anti-alien sentiments. They had been falsely accused of harboring alien fugitives at the estate Sean had inherited from his parents and the couple had turned into a beautiful bed and breakfast on the outskirts of National City. They had almost lost the estate but Alex and Maggie had been able to find proof that Agent Liberties group had planted evidence. It was the beginning of the end of the anti-alien movement, as more and more atrocities came to light and Agent Liberty's popularity waned.

When Sean and K'van had heard of the couple's engagement, they had insisted they hold the ceremony at the estate. When they found out it was to be an intimate affair with just a few friends and family, they blocked off three whole days and offered rooms for all the guests. They refused payment but Alex and Maggie had purchased an antique grandfather clock for the foyer of the B&B as a thank you gift. They had heard K'van raving about one in particular and had managed to track it down on eBay.

Alex was applying her makeup. As usual she wasn't wearing much but it was a special day and she wanted it to be perfect. There was a soft knock from the door to the connecting room and Maggie poked her head in.

"Can I come in," she asked, then entered before waiting for a reply.

Maggie already had her hair done and her makeup on but she was still in her robe. She hadn't put on her dress yet.

Alex smiled at the other woman's reflection in the mirror as she came up and stood behind her placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Morning, beautiful," Maggie said, kissing her cheek.

"Good morning to you. Aren't you worried about us seeing each other before the ceremony?" she asked in a mock serious tone.

"I believe that old superstition refers to the groom seeing the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony. Since neither one of us is a groom and we haven't put on our dresses yet, I think we're okay."

Alex laughed, "Both good points," she conceded. "I'd really like to kiss you properly right now but I don't want to mess up my make up, or yours for that matter."

"Not to worry, I'm pretty sure we get to do some kissing later on," Maggie quipped.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you but is there something you needed? I mean there is a kind of important event occurring today that we are supposed to be getting ready for," Alex returned Maggie's joking tone.

"We've got plenty of time. The ceremony doesn't start for a couple of hours and it's not like they're going to start without us." she smiled and held her hand out to her soon-to-be wife. "Come sit with me for a bit."

Alex took the offered hand and stood following Maggie to the beautiful four poster bed on the opposite side of the room. She noticed an 8 1/2 by 11 inch manilla folder in her other hand with a silver and white bow on it. "What's that?" she asked, her tone ever so slightly accusatory.

"It's a gift."Maggie replied mildly.

"Maggie," Alex sighed, clearly exasperated with her fiancé. "I thought we agreed that this fancy wedding was going to be our present to each other."

"We did. This isn't a wedding present for you. Let's call it a, 'we're officially a family gift' for all three of us. That is if you and JJ want it. You can say no but we'll get to that later." Maggie smiled and patted the bed next to her. "Sit and talk to me."

Alex sat, eyeing the manilla folder suspiciously.

"I was just sitting next door in my room, getting ready to marry the love of my life and make this family of ours official and I started thinking about that day two years ago and how lucky we were that we both showed up at Noonan's and decided to have lunch and talk and about everything that's happened since and I wanted to come over here before the craziness really starts and reminisce with you." Maggie said, by way of explanation for her presence in Alex's room this morning.

Alex smiled and caressed Maggie's cheek with her thumb. "Somehow, I don't think it was luck had much to do with the fact that we both decided to go to Noonan's that day. In fact, I'm willing to confess that my real reason for being there was in the hope of finding you there. I got the distinct impression that you were there for the same reason?" Alex looked at Maggie with a questioning expression on her face.

"I admit it. I was hoping to see you there too." Maggie smiled. "What a day that turned out to be. I don't know about you but in my wildest dreams I never could have imagined it would turn out as well as it did."

"I never could have imagined it but I think it was meant to be. It was there and then that we got our first glimpse of the family we were meant to be." Alex replied, brushing a stray strand of hair behind the other woman's ear.

They sat like that for a long time, staring into each other's eyes lost in the shared memories of the past two years.

* * *

_April 6th 2019_

_After they had each admitted that they still loved each other and wanted to get back together and had agreed that they should take things slowly, they had been able to relax and enjoy reconnecting. At first they sat with Maggie holding JJ and Alex holding both of them but eventually their son got restless and they put him on the blanket on the floor in the middle of the pillows from Maggie's bed with a couple of toys Alex always brought when ever her son was with her._

_They sat on the couch for hours watching him and talking about everything that had happened since they last saw each other._

_They were completely honest with each other about how much the breakup had hurt and about their unsuccessful attempts to move on._

_Maggie talked about Gotham and her work there. With Alex she was finally able talk about the assault and its aftermath. Alex simply held her while she cried it out, just like Maggie knew she would._

_Alex talked about replacing J'onn as Director at the DEO and how Col Haley's presence had taken the joy out of what should have been her time to shine at work. She told Maggie about the mind wipe and how she had known something was wrong even though she couldn't even remember having had the mind wipe._

_When Maggie had asked how she had figured it out Alex had explained about Kara's crinkle giving it away, specifically that both Kara and Supergirl had been looking at her with that crinkle on their foreheads._

_Eventually, JJ became fussy._

_Alex glanced at her watch, surprised at the time. "It's past his feeding time," she explained. "I can't believe how long we've been talking._

_"Oh wow!" Maggie said, checking the time on her phone. "Well, um…"_

_"I'm pretty sure our food is cold now. Would, ah, would you like to give him his bottle while I warm up our food?" Alex asked, not sure how Maggie would feel about it._

_"Really?" Maggie asked, managing to sound surprised, eager, and nervous all at once. "Yeah, I'd love that."_

_"Great!" Alex beamed at her. "I'll warm up his bottle first then I'll take care of our food while your feeding him."_

_When the bottle was ready she had Maggie sit on the sofa with JJ in her lap and a towel over her shoulder for burping him later and handed her the bottle._

_"Do I need to check that it's not too hot?" Maggie asked._

_"I already did but you might want to check it just for future reference so you'll know how he likes it." Alex replied, grinning at the implications of that statement._

_Maggie checked the temperature of the formula on her wrist like she'd seen people do. It was just barely warm to her. Then she offered the bottle to her son who sucked on it greedily. "Hey, slow down there buddy. You don't want to choke on it!"_

_Alex smiled watching the two of them. "No worries," she said with a chuckle. That's pretty much his only speed when it comes to eating. I'm surprised he isn't as big around as a beach ball by now."_

_Leaving the two of them to some mother and son bonding time, she went into the kitchen and went about heating and plating the food they had purchased at Noonan's earlier. Fortunately, there wasn't anything that was likely to have gone bad in the time it had been sitting forgotten on the counter._

_By the time she returned with their plates Maggie was just finishing up burping JJ. "You do that like a pro," she complimented the other woman. "You can put him on the blanket on his back. He usually goes down for his nap pretty quickly after he's eaten."_

_They sat on the sofa, eating their "brunch" and watching JJ fall asleep. A comfortable_ _silence fell over them. Alex eventually broke it. "I've missed this."_

_Maggie looked at her quizzically, "You've missed sitting on the sofa and eating a meal while we watched our son sleep? Maybe my head injury was worse than the doctors thought," she joked, "but i don't recall ever doing this before."_

_"Ha, ha, very funny." Alex deadpanned. "I mean I've missed being able to just sit with someone and not talk without feeling nervous or uncomfortable like I should be better at upholding m end of the conversation."_

_"Oh, yeah. I know what you mean," Maggie agreed._

_"It's one of the things I kept looking for and not finding after we broke up. I think it's one of the reasons I stopped looking. I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with someone I couldn't just sit and be with without feeling like I had to fill the silence."_

_Maggie just nodded in understanding and agreement._

_Eventually, JJ woke up and they got down on the floor and played with him. When he started getting fussy again Alex looked chagrined. "I'm afraid I only brought the one bottle for him. I'm going to have to take him home and feed him."_

_"Oh, oh right, of course," Maggie said standing up and and walking around the room like she was looking for something but she wasn't quite sure what. "I ah...I guess" she stammered. The expression on her face was equal parts sadness, distress, loneliness and fear._

_Alex understood. She didn't want their time together to end either. She suspected that, like herself Maggie, had the irrational fear that if they parted company now she might wake up tomorrow to find it had all been a dream._

_"Come with us?" Alex asked impulsively, "Please?"_

_Maggie had a momentary flashback to Alex using similar phrasing to ask Maggie to marry her._

_"Pack an overnight bag, and spend the night with us," Alex urged._

_"Are you sure?" she asked, hope written all over her face. "I thought we were going to take things slowly."_

_"We are. We still can. It's not like we're going to have sex tonight. I haven't got the guest room set up yet but you can sleep on the couch if your not comfortable sharing my bed." She looked imploringly at the smaller woman. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to you just yet. I know I'm being ridiculous but..."_

_"You're not being ridiculous and I'm no where near ready to say goodbye to the two of you either." Giving Alex a grin that made her go weak in the knees and doubt her ability to keep her promise about not having sex that night, Maggie headed toward her bedroom. "Give me two minutes," she threw over her shoulder._

* * *

June 10th 2021

Maggie frowned just a bit at her soon-to-be-wife. "What are you laughing at?" she asked not sure what was so amusing in the memory of their reunion.

Alex tried and failed to suppress a giggle. "I was just remember what happened when we got home and I asked you to change him while I got his dinner ready," Alex said with a wide grin on her face.

"Hey!" Maggie exclaimed with mock indignation. "You said he peed on you one of the first time you changed him before you learned to cover him up as soon as you got his diaper off."

"He did and trust me I wasn't the only one. He got Kara and Grampa J'onn too. Your expression was the best though, just priceless." Alex didn't even try to hold in her laughter.

Maggie gave up any pretense of being upset and laughed saying, "Yeah I was pretty shocked and more than a bit embarrassed."

Smiling fondly, Alex said, "Honestly, for someone who never thought they would be a mother, you took to it like a champ. Probably helped that after that day we almost never spent another night apart, except when work required it."

"Yeah," Maggie chuckled, "our whole, 'go slow' plan didn't last very long did it?"

—  
_April 21st 2019_

_Alex sat up in bed listening to Maggie in the bathroom brushing her teeth, washing her face and doing all things she normally did before she went to bed. Alex was biting her thumb and contemplating how to broach the topic she wanted to broach with Maggie. She glanced over to her night stand at the duplicate set of keys she'd had made._

_Maggie came out of the bathroom and as she had every night for the past two weeks got under the covers of Alex's king sized bed and extended her hand for Alex to hold as they drifted off to sleep. She glanced up at Alex with a confused and mildly worried expression when the other woman remained seated rather than lying down beside her and taking her hand._

_"Um, did you want to talk about something?" she asked apprehensively. "Is something wrong?" She wracked her brain trying to think of what she might have done to upset Alex but nothing came to mind. Besides, Alex didn't really look angry. She looked preoccupied._

_Alex glanced down at Maggie and seemed to make a decision. She'd always been better with actions than words. Turning off the bedside lamp she slid down and in bed beside Maggie but rather than taking her hand as she hand as she had since that first night Maggie had come home with her and JJ, she lay down on her side with her body pressed against the smaller woman's._

_Maggie froze as she felt Alex's hand slip up under her tank top and start caressing her stomach. She was so shocked when Alex leaned over her and pressed her lips to her own that she barely reacted. It wasn't that they hadn't kissed since that day. In fact, they had participated in what could only be described as some serious make out sessions, which involved a lot of heavy petting. But they'd kept it out of the bedroom, both understanding that the temptation to go beyond making out would be too great there._

_Alex pulled back in consternation and asked, "Don't you want to?"_

_Maggie replied or squeaked might have been a better description, "Um well, yeah but I_ _thought we were taking it slow."_

_Alex sat back up thinking, words it is then. "Maggie, we've spent every non-working minute since we met at Noonan's together. We eat together, we take care of JJ together, we sit around the house watching Netflix together. We've gone to bed every night for the past two weeks holding hands and woken up wrapped around each other like a couple of boa constrictors."_

_Maggie had scooted up in bed and was sitting facing her. Alex took her hand. "We can say we're taking it slow but with the exception of making love to each other, I'd say we've done the exact opposite of taking it slow. If you're not ready to have sex with me because of what happened to you in Gotham then I would never pressure you to move faster but if you're waiting because I was the one who said I wanted to take it slow and you think I'm not ready then I just want to clear up that misconception right here and now."_

_Maggie lifted the hand that Alex wasn't holding and brushed Alex's hair behind her ear. "As you know I was unconscious during the sexual assault so it's not like I've been having flashbacks or anything. Besides, I think if that kind of thing were going to happen it would have happened during one of our make out sessions while we pretended to watch Netflix." She smiled as Alex's blushed and looked down at their clasped hands for a moment._

_She waited to continue until Alex looked back up into her eyes. "Baby, if you're ready I'm ready. I just…like we said that first day. I want this to last Alex. If that means waiting another six month to make love to you, then that's how long I'll wait. If it means throwing_ _you down on this bed right this moment and ravishing you," she got a sparkle in her eyes that Alex hadn't seen since before their break up,"even better!"_

_She leaned in slowly, giving Alex time to change her mind but Alex had no intention of changing her mind. She slid her hand behind Maggie's neck and pulled her down on top of her, her other hand sliding up under Maggie's shirt and caressing the soft skin of her back. Maggie moaned at the contact and Alex took advantage of the moment to slip her tongue into her lover's mouth and explore the warmth she found there._

_They were still making love two hours later when a plaintive cry from the baby monitor interrupted them. "Hmm, I guess we'd better get used to that huh?" Maggie groaned._

_"Just be glad he isn't old enough to walk yet or he might have walked in on us. The door isn't even closed let alone locked you know"_

_Alex grinned as Maggie turned red just thinking about it. Rolling out of her side of the bed and glancing at the clock she said, "It's feeding time. I'll take care of it."_

_"You go get him," Maggie said, getting up too, "I'll go warm up a bottle for him."_

_When she got back she found Alex not in JJ's room but in the bedroom Alex sitting in bed with JJ in her arms. Maggie noticed he was playing with what looked like a set of keys but she knew what Alex's key ring looked like and this wasn't it._

_Getting into bed beside Alex and their son she asked. "What's he got there."_

_"It's a gift from the two of us to you?" Alex replied, pulling the keys from the baby's grasp and handing them to Maggie._

_"Are these the key's to your apartment?" Maggie asked, "Thanks. I'll get a duplicate set for my apartment for you?"_

_Alex had a weird expression on her face. "That's a nice offer Maggie but I don't really want a set of keys to your apartment."_

_"Oh, ah, okay," Maggie replied clearly confused. "I know we spend most of our time here I just thought…"_

_Alex took the bottle from Maggie and offered it to JJ who was getting a bit put out seeing the bottle in his mother's hand but not having it given to him. "There you go you my little fussbudget," Alex said making a face at her son._

_Looking up to Maggie with slightly amused expression she explained, "Maggie I don't want a set of your keys because I'm asking you to move in here."_

_"Oh, oh!" Maggie exclaimed grinning._

_"Like you said, we already spend most of our time here. Seriously, other than to go and get stuff to bring back here how much time have you spent in our apartment in the last two weeks?"_

_"Um," Maggie thought about it for a moment. "Well, I guess that would be…none!?" She'd been so wrapped up in getting to know her son and getting reacquainted with Alex she hadn't even realized how little of their free time they'd spent apart._

_"So, will you? Move in with us that is?" Alex asked little worried that Maggie might think it was too soon._

_"It seems like I already have. We might as well make official!" Maggie said beaming at her family._

* * *

June 10th 2021

"Yeah, I guess deciding to move in together after just two weeks was a bit fast," Alex couldn't keep the smile off of her face remembering that time and how happy she was when she found out Maggie was JJ's biological mother. She was ecstatic that Maggie wanted to be part of their lives and she simply couldn't wait for them to be together officially. She didn't care what anyone else thought, except perhaps for Kara. Thinking of Kara made her laugh.

"What are you thinking about?" Maggie asked, curious what had the other woman so amused.

"I was just thinking about how Kara found out you were back in our lives." Alex grinned at her fiancé.

"Oh sure, you think it was funny!" Maggie exclaimed, coloring at the memory. "You weren't the one who almost ended up orbiting the earth butt naked."

* * *

_April 25th 2019_

_Alex and Maggie entered their apartment lugging moving boxes from Maggie's old apartment. "Okay, that's the last of the stuff we're moving from my place, other than my bedroom set for the guest bedroom." Maggie said._

_"I'll get Kara to help with that when she gets back from Argo tomorrow." Alex said. Kara had received a message from Alura asking her if she could come to Argo for a visit and Kara, free of her obligation to the DEO, thanks to Col Haley, had decided to take a vacation from CatCo and spend a couple of weeks visiting her mother._

_"Are there any other boxes of your stuff we need to bring to Salvation Army?" Maggie asked. The two of them had spent most of the days since deciding to move in together going through their things and deciding who's stuff to keep and whose to sell or donate. There had been a few heated discussions but with a bit of compromise on both sides the decisions had been made and now pretty much all that was left was unpacking Maggie's things and bringing the donated items to Salvation Army._

_When Alex didn't answer, Maggie looked around to find the other woman staring at her with an expression Maggie could only think of as hungry. "Alex?" she said with a smirk._

_"Hmm?" Alex replied distractedly._

_"Everything okay?"_

_"Better than okay," Alex said, coming over to Maggie, putting her hands on shorter woman's hips, and leaning in to kiss her neck._

_"Really," Maggie laughed, nonetheless less turning her head to give her lover better access, "Hot and sweaty, in a ratty old t-shirt and jeans is doing it for you."_

_"Definitely," Alex replied nibbling on Maggie's earlobe, eliciting a moan. Then she released her and stepped back with an innocent look on her face. "But hey, if it's not working for you..."_

_Maggie quickly grabbed Alex and pulled her back, "Oh, I can work with it," she replied, returning the favor by sucking on Alex's pulse point. "Besides, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the fact that JJ is spending the night with his Grampa J'onn."_

_With that Alex took her hand and pulled her towards the bedroom._

_Considering their preoccupation with other things, it was understandable that they forgot to close the door and that they didn't hear Kara calling out for her sister when she arrived home early from Argo and was panicked to see the door to Alex's apartment ajar._

_Alex had not had a chance before Kara before left for Argo o sit down with her and tell her that she had seen Maggie let alone the whole story behind Maggie being JJ's mother or the two of them getting back together. So for Kara's part, it was understandable that she misinterpreted the scream she heard from Alex bedroom and reacted accordingly._

_She was determined to get Alex's "attacker" as far from her and JJ as possible. She was roughly 1000 feet in the air before she realized the individual in her grasp was Maggie and that she was naked._

_"Oh! Oh Rao," she exclaimed, turning roughly the color of the cape billowing around her. As quickly as she had whisked Maggie away she returned her to Alex's bed and stood at the end facing away from the two women apologizing profusely. "I am so sorry! I saw the door open, and the apartment was a mess, and I heard Alex scream and I just reacted. Oh Rao, this is so embarrassing."_

_Maggie was too stunned to say anything but Alex couldn't hold back her laughter, which had both of the other women scowling at her._

_Once Alex was able to get her laughter under control, she said "Kara, why don't you go wait for us in the living room. We'll be right out to explain. Why don't you open a bottle of wine while you're waiting. I think we could all use a drink."_

_"Yeah, right, okay," Kara said hustling out of the room._

_Half an hour later they were seated in the living room, working their way through their second bottle of wine and waiting for pizza and potstickers to be delivered._

_"Wow, that's just...I don't even know where to begin," Kara said a stunned expression on her face. "I'm so sorry that happened to you but at the same time, if it hadn't there'd be no JJ and you and Alex probably wouldn't be back together."_

_Alex and Maggie both just nodded and Alex put her arm around Maggie and held her close._

_"I feel like want to tell you congratulations and I'm sorry for you all at once." Kara said ith consternation._

_"It was really hard," Maggie admitted, "but if it meant getting to spend the rest of my life with Alex and our son then it was completely worth it."_

_"Well Alex, I guess you know why you felt such a connection with JJ the first time you saw him. I hope this finally puts to rest our argument about whether soulmates exist or not." Kara looked at her sister pointedly._

_"Fine," Alex huffed indignantly, fooling no one. "Soulmates exist and Maggie is mine." She leaned in and kissed her soulmate on the temple._

* * *

June 10th 2021

"Admit it , Mags, it was funny." Alex said, still unable to suppress a chuckle at the memory.

"Fine, I'll admit it was funny if you swear never to tell another soul that story." Maggie said with a huff.

"Even if you could get me to make such a promise I doubt you'd ever get Kara to agree to it." Alex smirked at the detective, recalling multiple occasions when Kara had related the tale.

Maggie just groaned at the reminder that her soon to be sister-in-law loved to embarrass her with that particular story.

"So, are you going to tell me what you've got in that folder?" Alex asked changing the subject to the manilla folder Maggie had brought into Alex's room with her and which had been the subject of Alex's curiosity ever since.

"Like I said, it's a gift for our family, if you want it. It's okay if you don't, I won't be upset. I just thought it might be something we could at least talk about. All three of us. Cause it effects JJ too even if he is just a toddler. So..."

"Sweetheart, you're rambling," Alex interrupted more intrigued than ever to know what could have her normally level headed fiancé in such a tizzy.

"Right, sorry," Maggie said, coloring slightly. "Here, take a look and tell me what you think." She handed the folder to the other woman.

Alex took it from her and opened it. She read the first line of the first page and tears filled her eyes as she read "Application for Adoption". Taking Maggie's hand she squeezed it, "Really, are you sure! I wasn't sure you'd want any more kids..." she stopped unsure how to go on.

"Because, I used to think I wasn't the mothering type?" Maggie finished for her with a smile. "I guess our son proved me wrong on that point. I always hated being an only child and I really admire the relationship you have with Kara. I'd really like our son to have that too."

"Oh Maggie, thank you!" Alex tried and failed to control her tears, knowing she was going to have to redo her makeup.

"So," Maggie continued, "I went ahead and filled it out except for a few things, like do we have a preference regarding age, gender, etc." Maggie pointed out the areas she'd left for them to discuss. "And there's a new question they've just recently added. I'd like to say yes but I wanted to discuss it with you. It's right here." She pointed to a question on the form that had not been there when Alex had applied to adopt before.

Alex read the question and teared up yet again. "Would you be willing to adopt an alien child or a child of mixed human and alien heritage?"

"You know," she said, wrapping her arms around her bride to be, "if we weren't already getting married today I'd haul you down to city hall and marry you on the spot!" She pulled Maggie into a passionate kiss, earlier worries about messing up their make up forgotten.

They were still making out 5 minutes later when there was a knock at the door and Kara walked in already dressed in her maid of honor outfit. "Jeez, you guys, there'll be time for that later! Most of the guests are here and you two aren't even dressed. Oh and J'onn says he's ready whenever you are."

Alex had originally planned to ask J'onn to give her away but thought it might be difficult for Maggie since her father wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle. Instead they decided to walk each other down the aisle and to ask J'onn if he would officiate the ceremony, since he was following in his father's footsteps as a Martian Holy Man. They had also asked him to consider doing the ceremony in his Martian form rather than as Hank Henshaw. They wanted to honor the fact that so many of their family members were alien. He had been both honored and touched by the requests.

"Fine, fine," Alex huffed, pulling out of Maggie's embrace, "give us," she glanced at Maggie questioningly.

"15" Maggie said.

"Give us 15 minutes," Alex finished. She gave Maggie one last, quick kiss then gently pushed her back towards her own room.

* * *

Twenty minutes later they were both standing in front of J'onn with a small group of friends and family in the garden of the estate. It was a gorgeous spring day, warm but not hot, with a gentle breeze ruffling the flowers that were in full bloom in the garden.

J'onn beamed at them, so happy they had found their way back to one another. "Friends and family, we are here to witness the joining in holy matrimony of two people who are more suited to each other than any couple I have ever met in my entire, very long life." There were a few chuckles at that. "The road here has been a long and rocky one but I believe in this case the old adage is true. That which didn't end their relationship, has made it stronger. Their ability to face hardships together has and will continue to serve them well. Now, Alex and Maggie have written their own vows. Ladies, who's going first?"

Maggie said, "That would be me." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Alex, when I mistakenly thought I had no other choice, I gave away the two most precious gifts I'd ever been given, your love and my son. You could have held it against me, but instead you gave them both back to me. There are no words to adequately describe how essential you are to my being but I will try.

Alexandra Danvers, you are the breath in my lungs, you are the blood in my veins, you are the love in my heart and you are the spirit that brings my soul to life. I love you with everything I am and everything I ever hope to be."

She squeezed Alex's hands indicating she was done.

Alex let go of one Maggie's hands just long enough to wipe at the tears on her cheeks.

"Margarita Sawyer, when we met you gave me the gift of myself because you showed me who I I really was and told me it was okay to be that person.

When we fell in love you gave me the gift of yourself because you were brave enough to let me see all the parts of you that you thought were unlovable.

When we were apart you gave me the gift of our son because you loved him enough to want him to have a better life than you thought you could give him, even though it broke your heart.

When you came back to me you gave me the greatest gift of all, you gave me the gift of our family because you were willing to give us a second chance.

If I lived a thousand years I could never repay you for even one of these gifts but I promise to spend the rest of my life trying."

She squeezed Maggie's hands and they both looked over to where Eliza was sitting with JJ on her lap. Eliza handed the boy the pillow with their wedding bands on it and whispered in his ear pointing to his mothers. He ran over to them, "Here Mamas!" he shouted, as everyone awwed at his adorableness.

Maggie and Alex each took the other's ring and, kissing their son on his cheek, sent him back to his grandmother. Turning back to each other they each placed the ring on their wife's finger and recited together:

"Alex/Maggie, with this ring I thee wed, I promise to love you, honor you, keep you, and cherish you all the days I live and if God will but answer my prayer, every day thereafter."

They looked at J'onn expectantly. He grinned back at them pausing ever so slightly for dramatic effect. "I now pronounce you married. You may each kiss your bride."

There was much whistling and cheering but the brides seemed not to hear it. Eventually, J'onn's "Ladies, if you please?" broke through the haze and they broke away from the passionate kiss.

Raising his arms J'onn intoned, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mrs. & Mrs. Sawyer-Danvers."

There was more cheering and someone in the crowd shouted, "Don't you mean Sergeant and Director Sawyer-Danvers," which elicited a laugh from the crowd and smiles from the brides.

They collected their son as they walked down the aisle to the reception and from there on to a life they had both been dreaming of for years.


End file.
